booster seats

this may sound like a silly question but here it goes.

my nephew is 5 and in a HBB. i think he should be in a nauntilus or something similar but that is a whole other post.

so we go for a ride with my father in law and my Father in law says to me as i am getting the seatbelt for nephew " make sure you pull it all the way out so it clicks and is tight against R. i thought you would want the seatbelt normal and lock in the event of crash or hard breaking. he then proceeds to tell me R doesn't sit well so it is the safest when the seatbelt is locked. so i say" maybe he needs one that is harnessed like L (my 4 year old). he says "oh no he is too big for that" I said " this one goes up to 65lbs and height would be fine for him. i didn't bother getting into it as my in laws including R's parents are strong headed people that don't listen to anythign anyone says.

long story short is are you suppose to tighten/lock the belt for HBB?

Locking the shoulderbelt is permitted (unless the vehicle manual prohibits it), and is actually recommended by many techs if the child is still too impulsive to sit properly 100% of the time in a booster (if a harnessed seat is not an option).

It's quite possible your FIL thinks your 5yo nephew is too large for harnessed seats because he (and the child's parents) are only aware of the standard 40# harnessed models that used to dominate the store shelves. Higher weight limit seats are a relatively new thing. Also, he/they may have state law minimums stuck in their heads (not realizing they are just that: minimums), which usually state 4yo and 40# for the "child restraint" or harnessed seat section, and go on to talk about older children in relation to the booster law. The wording of some laws can make it sound like a child should be forward-facing at 1yo and 20#, or that a 4yo, 40# child should be in a booster rather than a harness. The wording is so terrible in some states, in fact, that even some police officers misinterpret the law and ticket parents for rear-facing beyond the minimum, or harnessing beyond the minimum.

Hopefully now that you've educated FIL on the fact that there are seats that can harness a child that size, he will put two and two together and realize that it only makes sense to go back to a harness for this child, since he is wiggly and doesn't sit correctly, requiring the shoulderbelt to be locked. Incidentally, some vehicles have shoulderbelts that only lock up in a sudden stop or crash, no option to lock pre-crash; what will they do if he has to ride in one of those vehicles?

Can you talk to your nephew's parents (or send them an email with info)? Offer suggestions for harnessed seats (depending on his height/torso height, the $99 Evenflo Generations 65 might work)?

If he sits well in the booster, isn't fidgity, and meets the minimums (40lbs in Canada), then there is no reason to lock the seatbelt. If he d/n sit well, he should be in a harnessed seat.

BUT, if he sits well in the booster, I'd tell you FIL not to lock the belt (not necessary) and just leave it be.

FTR, my 5yo is in a Monterey in my van and in a GN in DH's truck. She actually sits better in the Monterey and we much prefer that seat over the GN.

The reality is this...Most grandparents tend to properly use booster seats. Most parents, grandparents, caregivers, etc, are incapable of properly utilizing and installing harnessed seats. In many cases, when we're dealing with individuals who are less than savvy when it comes to carseats, a 5 year old is significantly better off in a booster versus a harnessed seat. If it's necessary to lock the belt, it's necessary to lock the belt. It probably does mean that they're not quite ready to be in a booster, but circumstance often suggests that they're still safer/better off in that booster.

We're not looking for safest--that's a pipe dream. What we want is safer.. Do you really think they would install and use a harnessed seat properly for that child? If the answer is "no", then leave it be.

-Nicole.

thanks everyone

i wasn't going to say a word to them unless it was wrong which by the sounds of it he may need it done if it is ok to do it.

I agree that he is probably better with them doing that then having a carseat that is too small which likely would have been the alternative.

thanks everyone!